Arty Girl: "Peace of Light" at UFO

The owner of UFO (Universal Furnishings and Offerings) did a very smart thing a couple weeks ago.

He called me to tell me about this other smart thing he did at the beginning of the month: he put together an art show. A really good one.

In case you haven't been there, UFO is a deliciously quirky second-hand furniture store owned by Leonardo Ramirez. His large space off of 16th St. almost overflows with vintage sofas, tasteful bric-a-brac and other carefully selected home decor items. Ramirez coins the term "recycletude" to describe his taste.

It's a wonderful shop. But the art show he installed in his gallery is what really shines.

The gallery's windows are blocked out and the space stays dark all day. The only light source is a residual glow from the art pieces themselves.

The artist, who prefers to remain anonymous, collects old radios and clocks, removes their guts and replaces the insides with beautifully lit diorama scenes. The scenes are whimsical, adventurous and totally delightful.

One shows a skyline of miniature skyscrapers while another contains a model sailing vessel flying through space. One of my favorites held an egg-filled bird's nest with the mama bald eagle flying by a mountainous terrain in the background. The soft yellow glow of a bulb creates the illusion of a serene wilderness sunrise.

The works are tremendous. And they are only up until the end of the month.

Check out some of the photos I snapped. Keep in mind, it was dark and tough to capture the visual impact of the show...they just don't do justice.

Ok, now I realize it's the holidays and it's almost impossible to fit anything else in but, please, please try. You won't regret it, I promise.

"Peace of Light" will be up through the end of December at UFO (Universal Furnishings and Offerings) at 3602 N. 16th St. (on the west side of 16th St., just North of Osborn), 602-862-8735, UFO facebook page.